How many handwritten thank you cards have you received recently? Probably not many. A personally penned note has become something of a rarity these days. But as we all know, the more rare a thing is, the more value it contains.
Lost along the way
It’s hard to say exactly when the practice of writing cards and letters began to fade. No doubt it has something to do with the rise of electronic communication. The United States Postal Service conducts an annual survey that offers a peek into this decline.
Back in 1987 Americans received a handwritten piece of correspondence about once every two weeks. By 2010 the rate had dropped to just one note every seven weeks. At the same time, young adults today exchange around 88 text messages each day. Phone calls are down. Letter writing is down. There is a degree of personal connection that has been lost somewhere along the way.
Why recover it?
If digital communication is the natural evolution of correspondence, why bother to recover the handwritten note? There are a couple of reasons why, in fact. First ask yourself how you feel when you find a personal letter in your mailbox. If you’re honest, you feel a bit more elated than you do when you receive a nice text message or email.
That is because a handwritten note represents more of an investment. The person who sent you that card or letter spent some time composing their thoughts and then bothered to write them out. They spent the time and money needed to purchase a piece of stationary and a stamp. And after all of that – they made a walk to the mail drop. Handwritten letters are worth more because they are rare and because they require more investment. They are also worth recovering because of the good they do for the sender.
People who take the time to write down their “thanks” – or even verbalize them – enjoy a number of physical and psychological benefits from doing so. Things like better sleep and a greater degree of life satisfaction have been linked to the practice of expressing gratitude. Recovering this habit is good for everyone.
Why an inspirational thank you card?
If you use a Christian notecard then there will be some sort of inspirational thought or design to amplify your own message. Often religiously-themed cards will offer words of scripture which have power in themselves to lift another’s spirits. This can encourage someone in a deeper way with beautiful words of faith.
It is not too late to recover the quickly fading art of writing words of thanks. An inspirational thank you card makes a not-so-difficult task, even easier. Visit the online Christian gift store The Printery House to find the cards that will help you communicate a positive and uplifting word.